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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Leslie Caron, Jill Colonna & Tintin!

Yesterday I had a brief encounter with superb actress Leslie Caron in the Metro Etoile station. I saw an elegant French woman checking the metro map. Then I saw her little dog - out came the camera immediatement. Remember Leslie Caron of Gi-Gi, Lily, American in Paris, Damages, Le Divorce, more recently Law and Order.

I saw the woman go off in one direction, turnaround and come back. Metro Etoile is a confusing station. I sensed she was lost.

I went up and said,

'Peux je vous aidez?'/ Can I help you?Mm. C. said, 'bla bla bla' in French

Me, 'but I'm American'

Mm. C.responded in perfect English in her inimitable lilting voice,

'Isn't it funny an American helping a French person in the Metro?' and smiled graciously.

I helped her find ligne 8 and then asked if I could take a picture of her Shitzu.

'His name is Tea-Tea' (sp)

All I could think was her movie 'Gi-Gi'

Leslie Caron's book, Thank Heaven A Memoir came out two years ago. It's a classy tell-all of her life and loves in Hollywood and everywhere else. I'll be reading it as soon as I get home. Lovely interview here.

Everyone in London and Paris is talking about the new Spielberg Tintin movie coming out exactly the day I head home. AirFrance could you please show it in economy?

Yesterday I picked up Le Point to browse while enroute to my private macaron lesson with.

Inside a touch of framboise/raspberry surprise lurked. Today I ate my crust. Chef Osmont won me over and I was very hungry. Leslie Caron said in this Guardian interview,'I seldom eat pastry–maybe once a year. I never eat desserts and I don't drink'.

35 comments:

I'd recognize her anywhere :)I remember her particularly from the movie she was in with Cary Grant - the South Sea "war story"/comedy. Can't think of the name.I love your sketches of the dogs - perfect!!I love the pic of Bear keeping an eye on things...

This was one of the most exciting posts that I've read in a long time. I kept telling my husband that I wanted to go stay in her b&b but I heard she sold it. From the sounds o things, you were calm. I would have been a bit out of control... I just love her!!

Do you encounter a lot of Shih Tzus in Paris? I love Leslie Caron's Shih Tzu, Tea Tea! I have a brown and white Shih Tzu, Chloe, and (if you can believe the coincidence) my nickname is Gigi!! Great post, made me smile.

Carol, I really enjoyed our day yesterday and even more so that it started off with the movie star in the metro. Still can't get over it! Also can't get over that you ate Osmont's crust - although not too surprising. His pastries are a dream. In any case, try finding pigeons here to feed them ;-)Adore your incredible doggie sketches.You've no idea how you've made my day: imagine being in the same title of your blog as Leslie Caron? Is that not cool?!

How exciting.I thought I remembered her owning a B and B? I am probably getting my beautiful French actresses mixed up..How sweet of you to go and offer to help her..You must have a great sense of direction..I can get lost in a phone booth..I love your stories ..I wish you could have given her a sketch:) She would have loved it.

We grew up w/ Tintin,the movie was news to us this morning..again I think i heard rumblings.. but yay!.

You do make the most of Paris! I love that Everyone takes the Metro! (Her doggie looks just like my friend's dog who wouldn't cooperate with us in a attempt at pretending we were French by having a little dog with us.)

Oooooh, always loved Leslie Caron! Fabulous! Didn't she open a restaurant, or Inn, or something, at her beautiful home? She was hilarious in that goofy little movie with Cary Grant...Father Goose? Love your sketches, Carol.

i SOOOO love the movie "American in Paris".......and saw "Gigi" when i was 6 years old.....magical.....i was in love with France at a very early age!....and i believe you will one day bake macarons like a pro....with a friend like jill

Part II ... BTW, I was first drawn to your blog before I knew what a blog was ... when I searched google images for Paris at night ... and came up with a picture you posted, and then checked out the blog and started following .. so a wider net than pastries can sometimes draw in the fringes .... maybe?

OMGosh. I love LC. I have the movie..Father Goose.. Loved her in that. What fun running into her and helping her out... Her Dog is adorable, and those macarons look to die for. Do you think you will try them again? What a fabulous day you had and a fun blog posting for today.

Bit I did get that way at a Salon du Chocolat book signing for Pierre Herme - I burst into tears and never met him :(Course I had no chance to anticipate with Mm. C. which certainly helped.Besides I'm good at giving directions. It's my self-assigned job in NYC whenever I see anyone struggling with a map :)Carolg

LC did win Academy Award for LIli. I loved GiGi & American in Paris, of course. I also remember Is Paris Burning? Because it had James-Paul Belmondo, Alain Delon ,Charles Boyer, Yeves Montant,Anthony Perkins just to mention a few.I hope when I am 80 I look as good as Ms Caron! It was so nice of you to help her & for her to allow you to photograph TeaTea who is such a cutie!Oh, now you have all the macron secrets! those lemon macs have me drooling! the goats & chickens snubbed my last rejects!

Je vous aidez? doesn't mean Can I help you? It really doesn't mean anything. Je peux vous aider? is what you need to say. [Vous aidez means You are helping/ you help]. Je peux? means 'Can I?' vous means 'you', aider means 'help/ to help'. The whole thing needs to be Je peux vous aider? or Peux-je vous aider? No big deal in the exciting situation of meeting Leslie Caron to have made a little error, but perhaps not a good thing to have the error sent world-wide for others to make. Prob no-one cares; they're too busy wishing they could buy those fabulous cakes. Regards Gwendoline Australia

I love Gigi! I first saw it in high school French class, and went out and bought the DVD. Lovely pictures, makes me miss France so much! I've been making macarons recently as well (found out about your blog through Jill), with flavors like foie gras, hibiscus, pistachio, mango & lychee.

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♥carol gillott♥

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I moved to Paris 2 years ago. I should have done it sooner but that's how the macaron crumbles. Living on the Ile Saint Louis next to the Seine after the 19eme is 'la cerise sur la gâteau'. It doesn't get any better. I've painted watercolors for Bocuse, Champagne Mumm, Guerlain, Frederick Cassel, The Russian Tearoom and the Maharana of Udaipur.
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